Mobile messaging is no longer a trendy or optional add-on for billing and other customer communications. It’s often the fastest path to customer engagement and payment.
It works best when it’s part of a broader omnichannel strategy with sequenced outreach — delivering the right message, through the right channel, at the right time. An integrated customer communication management (CCM) platform that combines print and mail, email and text makes it simpler and faster to meet customer expectations of convenience and choice, while enabling automation that boosts speed, productivity and efficiency.
With Nordis and our partner Solutions by Text (SBT), clients can leverage several texting options to suit different types of communications and improve customer experience. In addition to traditional short message service (SMS) and multi-media messaging service (MMS), we are rolling out rich communication service (RCS) in Expresso ® in 2026. It’s an opportune time for clients to integrate text messaging into their Expresso platform. According to Datos Insights 2024 research:
- Roughly 50% of people who received a text payment reminder clicked through to pay.
- Two-thirds of consumers receiving payments reminders say it’s the fastest, easiest way to pay bills.
Here’s how to plan for the valuable new RCS texting channel and update your overall text communications strategy to match consumer demand.
Text messaging growth for billing and payments
Text is the top financial communications channel for Gen Z and a close second for other generations.
Source: 2025 Solutions by Text, Datos Insights
Strategic texting programs
Each channel likely fits into a strategic customer communications program.
- SMS – Short Message Service. Universal and the lowest-friction channel for reaching virtually any mobile number, though message length is extremely limited. It’s often the most reliable channel for high-volume, simple, urgent or transactional messages.
- MMS – Multi-media Messaging Service. Supports longer messages and links and brings the ability to add color and images and include a variety of media.
- RCS – Rich Communication Services. An app-like upgrade to SMS that maintains the simplicity of text messaging but provides an immersive user experience. RCS can include branding, rich media, one-tap buttons and other interactive elements that allow consumers to take immediate action without leaving their messaging app.
The availability of RCS messaging through Expresso creates an opening to greatly enhance how billing organizations engage with consumers, not only meeting consumer expectations but speeding collections. In a recent survey of U.S. consumers about RCS, SBT found:
- 79% are likely to click on account alerts and payment reminders
- 76% are likely to set up auto pay
- 69% are likely to click on a bill pay message
- 53% prefer RCS over mobile apps for customer engagement
See how a leading RCM firm lowered costs and increased payment adoption by incorporating text messaging options through Expresso.
Read case Study
Channel comparison and what matters for billing
Billing messages aren’t just about clicks, they must prioritize these three operational goals:
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Customer experience and conversion friction
SMS can include a brief message and a link to pay that’s low friction and familiar to consumers. Companies are limited to 160 characters of text.
With MMS, companies can incorporate logos and other images to improve understanding and impact and include a PDF of a statement with a secure link to the entire bill within a payment portal. Character limits of up to 1,600 characters support more detailed messages.
RCS offers embedded “Pay Now” buttons and in-message confirmation receipts, all of which reduce clicks and propel payment completion. For payment flows, RCS’ in-message calls-to-action and confirmations can significantly lower abandonment compared to a link-only SMS. -
Trust, security and compliance
SMS shows a number or short code as the company sender, but spoofing and phishing concerns persist and the very basic presentation isn’t visually appealing. MMS messages can contain a logo to boost customer confidence in the sender. RCS adds verified sender badges, branding, advanced messaging capabilities and can include archived communications to reduce confusion and customer doubt, a clear advantage for payment requests where trust is everything.
Nordis integrates SBT’s carrier-backed, compliance-first approach into all text messaging and can archive messages for as long as requested. -
Analytics and measurement
SMS and MMS provide basic delivery receipts and click rates. RCS offers real-time read receipts to confirm delivery and analytics delivered to your Expresso dashboard that let teams measure true payment conversion and quickly optimize copy, timing and CTA placement, improving cost-to-collect.
Ready to drive payments and preferred customer experiences through text-first workflows? Contact us to get started or to confirm your spot in our RCS priority queue.
